Sanctuary lamp



Patented Cet. 6, 1936 UNirED srares PATENT 0F HE SANCTUARY LAMPApplication October 30, 1935, Serial No. 47,435

10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in sanctuary lamps designedparticularly for use in churches and for other religious purposes.

An object of my invention is to provide an 'improved sanctuary lampwhich is economical to operate and which conserves the candle fuel andenables burning of substantially all of the candle material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a supporting frame for asanctuary lamp which is of novel design and adapted to retain thechimney and base of the sanctuary lamp in assembled relationship.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a sanctuary lamp ofthe follower type in which the follower has depending side walls closelyembracing the side walls of the candle and of a depth sufficient toretain the candle material within the confines vof the follower when thefollower comes to rest upon its seat.

My invention further contemplates theprovision of a glass insert for thebase of a sanos tuary lamp of the follower type which is adapted toreceive the candle and is provided with'apertures, whereby that portionof the melted candle material 'which has seeped between the lower edgeof the follower and the glass insert upon which the follower seats mayseep back 'into' the glass insert and be consumed during the burning ofthe candle.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a view showing the sanctuary lamp in assembled condition.

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

' The candle C, adapted to be used in the sanctuary lamp of myinvention, is an elongated large diameter candle made of slow-burningwax provided at its lower end with inwardly converging side walls IIforming a base for the candle. The base of the candle is adapted to bereceived invan vinsert I2 preferably made of glass. The glass used forthe ybase is preferably a glass resistant to heat and is shaped toconform to the shape of the base Il of the candle. The insert has anannular vertical wall I3, an inwardly and downwardly extending wall Idand a bottom I6. The side walls I2 of the insert near the bottom I6 areprovided with aper..

tures I1, preferably four in number, for a purpose to be laterdescribed.

The kbottom I 6 of the insert rests upon the bottom I3 of a cup-shapedbase 1I9 preferably made of ruby glass. The base I9 is spacedrat 5' thesides from the insert I3, as shown in the drawing, and has verticalupwardly extending side walls 2l which extend upwardly concentric withthe candle and concentric with the vertical sides i 3 of the insert. Aglobe or chimney 22 for the candle, preferably made of ruby glass, restsupon the annular rim of the base I9 and extends upwardly concentric withthe candle. The upper end of the chimney is open and is flaredoutwardly, as indicated at 24.

The upper end of the candle C has a sloping surface 26 which is adaptedto receive a sloping surface 2l formed in a candle follower 28 which ispreferably made of glass highly resistant to heat. The upper end of thefollower is bent outwardly at 29 so as to provide a aring mouth 3l forretaining the melted candle material, when the candle is burning, in apool at the top of rthe chimney.l The sloping surface 2l of the followerengages the sloping surface 26 ,of the candle in a manner such that aseal is provided for preventing leakage of the candle materialdownwardly along the sides of the candle. The follower 28 is providedwith a depending skirt 32 which is slightly larger in diameter than thediameter of the candle so that the follower may be supported entirely bythe top of the candle and move downwardly as the candle burns.

A frame for the sanctuary lamp, generally indicated by the numeral 30,is provided for holding the chimney 22 and the cup-shaped base I9 inassembled relationship and comprises three upwardly extending members 33closely embracing the side walls of the chimney and the base.

An annular band 34, integral with the members 33, encircles the chimney22 at the top of the frameand a second band 36, also integral with themembers 33, embraces the chimney and base I9 at the meeting point of thebase and the chimney. The band 36 serves to retain the chimney againstaccidental displacement with respect to the base andy serves to cover upthe meeting edges of the chimney and base. A third annular band 3l isprovided at the bottom of the frame. A base 38 having suitablesupporting feet 33 is provided for the frame, the feet 39 being securedby screws to the basevin lill@ With the members 33. The entire frame ispreferably made of brass or any other suitable metal and is ornamentedin a distinctive manner so that the sanctuary lamp will present apleasing appearance. If desired, suitable ornaments 4I may be placed atthe top of each of the vertical members 33.

When the sanctuary lamp has been assembled, as shown in the drawing, andis lighted, the ame of the candle melts the wax at the top thereof. Theweight of the follower is suflicient so that it rests upon the slopingsurface 26 of. the candle and forms a seal to prevent leakage of thecandle material downwardly along the sides of the candle thus retaininga pool of melted candle material in the flaring mouth of the follower.

As the candle burns downwardly, the follower moves downwardly with thecandle, the melted candle material being retained entirely,v by theflaring mouth of the follower. The diameter of the depending skirt ofthe follower is such that when the candle has burned down near the lowerend, the depending rim 42seats upon the rim of the vertical side wallsI3 of the glass insert I2. After the follower has seated upon the insertI2, the continued burning of the candle causes the surface 26 of thecandle to recede from the surface 21 of the follower so that a seal isno longer provided at this point. The molten candle material then tendsto flow downwardly into the slight annular space that exists between theside walls of the candle and the depending skirt of the follower. Thiscandle material flows downwardly in this space a distance, dependentupon external temperature conditions, and after it is'y a sufficientdistance away from the heat of the flame of the candle, tends tosolidify. 'Ihe candle material, as it solidifies, builds up an annularring of solid candle material extending around the candle between theside walls of the candle and on the inner surface vof the dependingskirt of the follower. This annular ring of solidified can- `dlematerial retains the molten candle material in a pool at the top of thecandle. This condition is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 wherethe level of the molten candle material is indicated by the numeral 44and the top'of the solid candle by the numeral 45. As the candlecontinues to burn downwardly, this annular ring of solid candle materialmoves downwardly in accordance with the burning of the candle.Y

When the candle has burned downwardly to a certain point, dependent uponexternal temperature conditions, the molten candle material seepsbetween the depending rim 42 of the follower and the upper edge of thesidewalls I3 of the insert` When this seepage occurs the melted candlematerial drops into the annular space between the base and the insert,solidifies, and builds up in the base until the level of molten candlematerial on the outside of the follower is the same as that on theinside of the follower. The depth of the skirt 32 of'the follower andthe height of the side walls 2| ofthe base I9 are, however, madesuicient that even under the most extreme temperature conditions, thecandle material will not flow into the cupshaped base until the level ofthe molten candle material at the top of the candle is below the upperedge of the cup-shaped base or at least until the level of the moltencandle material at the top of the candle is such that it is onlyslightly higher than the upper edge of the base so that when seepageoccurs and the molten candle material has sought its level the height ofthe molten candle material, both inside and outside of the follower,will be below the upper edge of the cup-shaped base.

The continued burning of the candle causes the level of candle material,both inside and outside of the follower, to drop and the solidifiedcandle material in the space between the insert and the cup-shapedholder remelts and flows through the apertures II into the insert whereit is consumed by the flame of the candle. Thus, substantially theentire candle material consumed during the burning of the candle only. aslight residue remaining which may be readily cleaned out uponseparation of the chimney 22 from the base I9.

It will be apparent that I have provided a novel sanctuary lamp whichacts to conserve the candle and insures the complete burning ofsubstantially all the candle material. It will further beapparent thatvarious modications and changes may be made in the form and relation ofparts without departing from the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base and a chimney for enclosingthe candle, said chimney resting upon the upper edge of said cup-shapedbase, and a frame for supporting said base and chimney in assembledrelationship.

2. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, an insert for receiving acandle supported in said base, said insert having a plurality ofperforations in the bottom thereof for enabling the melted candlematerial flowing into said cupshaped base to seep back into said insert.

3. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, an insert for receiving acandle supported in said base, a follower mountedon the top of thecandle adapted to move downwardly with the candle as the candle burnsand adapted to seat on the insert when the candle has burned down nearthe bottom, said insert having a plurality of apertures thereinforenabling the candle material which seeps between the bottom of thefollower and the insert to flow back into the insert.

4. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, a candle holder forsupporting the candle mounted in said cup-shaped base, a followermounted on the top of the candle and having a depending skirt closelysurrounding the side walls of the candle, said follower being adapted toretain the melted candle material at the top of the candle, movedownwardly as the candle burns and seat upon the candle holder when thecandle has burned down near the bottom, said depending skirt being insuch intimate relationship with the candle that when the follower hasseated on said candle holder the `melted candle material which flowsdownwardly below the top of the solidified portion of the candlesolidifes between the walls of the candle and said depending skirtwhereby a pool of melted candle material is retained on the top of thecandle until the level of the candle material inside the follower isbelow the rim of the cupshaped base.

5. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, a candle holder forsupporting the candle mounted in said cup-shaped base, a followermounted on the top of the candle andhaving a depending skirt closelysurrounding the side walls of the candle, said follower being adapted toretain the melted candle material at the top of the candle, movedownwardly as the candle burns and seat upon the candle holder when thecandle has burned down near the bottom, said depending skirt being insuch intimate relationship With the candle that when the follower hasseated on said candle holder the melted candle material which flowsdownwardly below the top of the solidified portion of the candlesolidies between the walls of the candle and said depending skirtwhereby a pool of melted candle material is retained on the top of thecandle until the level of the candle material inside the follower isbelow the rim of the cupshaped base, and means for enabling the candlematerial which seeps between the lower edge of said depending skirt andsaid candle holder into said cup-shaped base to seep back into saidcandle holder to be consumed during the burning of the candle.

6. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, a candle holder for receivinga candle supported in said base, a chimney supported by the base andextending upward concentric with the candle, means for preventingleakage of candle material into the base at least until the candle hasburned almost to its bottom, said candle holder having an opening nearthe bottom thereof to enable candle material owing into the base to seepback into the candle holder.

7. In a sanctuary lamp, a cupshaped base, a candle holder for receivinga candle supported in said base, a chimney supported by the base andextending upward concentric with the candle, a follower mounted on thetop of the candle adapted to retain melted candle material on top of thecandle and to move downward with the candle as the candle burns and seatupon said candle holder, said candle holder having an opening near thebottom thereof to enable candle material flowing into the base to seepback into the candle holder.

8. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base and a chimney for enclosingthe candle, said chimney resting upon the upper edge of said base, and aframe for supporting said base and chimney in assembled relationship,said frame having a band encircling said base and chimney at theirmeeting edges.

9. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, a chimney for enclosing thecandle, said base and said chimney having substantially vertical sidewalls of the same external diameter enabling the chimney to be seatedupon the upper edge of the cup-shaped base and present a continuousouter wall of base and chimney, and a frame for retaining said base andchimney in said relationship.

10. In a sanctuary lamp, a cup-shaped base, a chimney for enclosing thecandle, said base and said chimney having substantially vertical sidewalls of the same external diameter enabling the chimney to be seatedupon the upper edge of the cup-shaped base and present a continuousouter wall of base and chimney, and a frame retaining said base andchimney in said relationship, said frame having a band encircling thebase and chimney at their meeting edges.

OSCAR D. GUILFOIL.

